Polish composition

ABSTRACT

A new composition for the cleaning and polishing of copper and brass metals comprised of feldspar, sodium chloride, acetic acid, cereal starch and water in specific proportions.

United States Patent Damron [451 Mar. 28, 1972 [54] POLISH COMPOSITIONiT869,97'0 67T3 i Hbifiid. ...I ..l O6/3 [72] Inventor: Aimed J. Damn,1120 Highland v 3,248,235 4/1966 Pryor ..l06/3 Avenue, Ashland, Ky.41101 OTHER PUBLICATIONS 1 Fi Oct- ,196 .Chem. Abstract v01; 65; 9187f,1966 [21] Appl' 866359 Primary Examiner-Theodore MorrisAttomey-Duckworth and Hobby [52] U.S. Cl ..106/5, 106/214 51 Int. ClC09g 1/02 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search ..5 H302; 106/3, 5, 214; A newcomposition f the cleaning and polishing f copper 148/614 and brassmetals comprised of feldspar, sodium chloride,

acetic acid, cereal starch and water in specific proportions. [56]References Cited 4 Claims, No Drawings UNITED STATES PATENTS 324,8195/19 6 Mu rphy ..10m

POLISH COMPOSITION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the InventionThis invention relates to a new composition for cleaning metal and moreparticularly for cleaning and polishing copper and brass metal.

A further object of this invention is to produce a copper and brasscleaner and polish which may be readily applied and removed withoutwaiting for the cleaning and polishing material to dry.

A further object of this invention is to produce a semifluid orgelatinous material which may be easily handled and uniformly applied soas to obtain a uniform and unstreaked surface on the metal cleaned andpolished.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaning materialwhich will quickly and efficiently clean copper or brass to a highluster but which will not scratch the surface of the metal so cleaned.

It is an additional object of this invention that it utilizesinexpensive yet efficient materials so as to allow the product to besold at a price which is within the budget of the housewife.

2. Description of the Prior Art ln the past numerous attempts have beenmade to develop efficient and inexpensive compositions for the cleaningand polishing or buffing of copper and brass. Copper and brass areparticularly difficult to keep in a condition of high luster due totheir high reactivity to oxides, sulfides and the various other saltswhich are abundant in nature. This is particularly true where the brassand copper items to be cleaned are household utensils which may behandled frequently. The body salts and oils carried on the hands willreadily be converted to copper oxides and salts at the metal surfaceafter contact with the copper or brass, usually within minutes after thecontact has occurred.

The previous attempts to provide copper or brass cleaning substanceshave not been uniformly successful. One of these materials has been ofthe type that is primarily harsh or coarse abrasives which remove thesurface salts and oxides by scratching and scoring the surface of themetal to be cleaned.

This type of polishing then must be followed by a buffing operation tosmooth the surface and restore the luster to the object polished. Thistype of mechanical cleaning and polishing causes early deterioration ofthe surface, especially if the copper or brass item is ofa decorativenature.

Another method of polishing metal which has not been entirelysatisfactory involves the use of abrasive materials suspended in quickdrying organic materials such as alcohols. These cleaning and polishingmaterials have the disadvantage of nonuniformity of abrasive particleswhich can result in streaked metal after the polishing process has beencompleted, thus necessitating additional polishing operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new andnovel copper and brass polishing composition acidic in nature and usingonly mildly abrasive material. The composition is so manufactured as toprovide a uniform dispersion of the abrasive material which will allowuniform polishing action without numerous recleaning and repolishingoperations. The method of manufacturing of the inventive cleaner andpolisher provides for combining sodium chloride, acetic acid and water,and heating until the sodium chloride goes completely into solution. Thesolution is then cooled to ambient temperature and then combining itwith a mixture of feldspar, soap and cereal starch. The resultantmaterial is then agitated while being heated until it reaches thedesired consistency for use as a metal polish.

The polish obtained by the instant invention is used by wetting thearticle to be polished, applying the polish with a brisk rubbing motionfollowed by immediately washing and drying.

and in any desired quantity from the small batch type operation to' thelarger continuous automated manufacturing methods and therefore theproportions are described in relationship to each other so that any sizebatch may be produced.

In the manufacture of my improved brass and copper cleaner, as anabrasive I use feldspar (orthoclase). I have found that feldspar with aMohs hardness of about 6 to be of sufficient hardness to provide thenecessary abrasive qualities without scoring the surface of the item tobe polished. It is considered to be an intermediate abrasive and whenreduced in particle size to a minus 325 mesh has proven vastly superiorin the instant invention to abrasives of greater hardness.

My abrasives are held in uniform dispersion throughout the polishingpaste by the action of the cereal starch. The starch,

' preferably cornstarch, is a natural colloid and of large molecularsize. The starch molecules are made up of large chains of multiple sugarunits (polysaccharides) and will thicken when heated in the presence ofthe water and acetic acid of my invention. The starch so thickened andagitated in the presence of abrasive particles will serve to hold theabrasives in a uniform dispersion.

It is also necessary to add to my composition a trace amount of soap toact as a surfactant to assist in the removal of oils and other solublematerials which are on the surface of the item to be cleaned. Thisamount of soap may be varied to meet special application.

The method of making the metal polish of the instant invention includesthe steps of combining together sodium chloride in a range of 16 percentby weight to 17 percent by weight of the total composition with aceticacid in a range of about 2 percent by weight to 6 percent by weight ofthe total composition and water in the range from 58 percent by weightof the composition to 62 percent by weight of the composition.

This mixture is then heated with mild agitation until all the sodiumchloride has gone into solution. The resultant solution is then allowedto cool to ambient temperature. The cooled solution is combined with amixture of cereal starch, preferably cornstarch, in a range of from 6.5percent by weight to 7.5 percent by weight and feldspar in the range of10.5 percent by weight to 11.5 percent by weight of the composition; andsoap in an amount sufficient so as to act as a surfactant ingredient.The resulting mixture is then heated while being violently agitateduntil the composition reaches a pastelike consistency.

It is to be understood that the percentages of the various ingredientsmay be varied somewhat. Further, depending upon the nature of thetarnish on the copper or brass to be cleaned, one skilled in the art mayvary the amounts of the ingredients of the polish or make the polishthicker or more fluid by regulating the amount of agitation and degreeof heating done to the mixture.

A specific example of manufacture of the invention included combiningfor every parts, by weight, of composition prior to final heating 17parts of sodium chloride, 3 parts of acetic acid, 7% parts ofcornstarch, 11 parts of feldspar, with soap and 61% parts of water.

The components were combined in the order and manner described above.The resultant mixture was violently agitated with heat until a thickenedconsistency was reached. The thickened material was then applied to thecopper portion of a kitchen pan which was severely tarnished in a briskpolishing motion. The pan was then washed and dried immediately andshowed upon close examination a bright surface with a high degree ofluster.

It is not completely understood the exact mechanism which causes myingredients to act together to form a copper and brass polish. It isonly known that the materials when combined and treated as describedproduce a polish which is unexpectedly superior to other productsobtainable.

This invention is not'to be construed as limited to the particular formsdescribed and disclosed herein, since these are to be regarded asillustrative rather than restrictive.

I claim:

1. A composition for use as a metal polish consisting essentially offeldspar in a range of from 10.5 percent by weight to l 1.5 percent byweight, of the composition; sodium chloride in a range of from 16percent by weight to 17 percent by weight of the composition; cerealstarch in a range of from 6.5 percent by weight to 7.5 percent by weightof the composition; acetic acid in a range of from 2 percent by weightto 6 percent by weight of the composition; a surfactant agent; and waterwithin the range of 58 percent to 62 percent by weight of thecomposition which has been heated to form a thickened pastelikesubstance.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the cereal starch is cornstarch.

3. The method of making a metal polish including the step of combiningsodium chloride in the range of from 16 percent by weight to 17 percentby weight of the composition with acetic acid in a range of about 2percent by weight to 6 percent by weight of the composition and water ina range of from 5 8 percent by weight to 62 percent by weight of thecomposition, heating said mixture until all of said sodium chloride isin solution, combining with the resultant solution a mixture of cerealstarch in a range of from 6.5 percent by weight to 7.5 percent by weightof the composition and feldspar in a range of 10.5 percent by weight to11.5 percent by weight of the composition and a surfactant and heatingthe mixture while agitating until said composition reaches a thickenedpastelike consistency.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the cereal starch is cornstarch.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the cereal starch is cornstarch.
 3. The method of making a metal polish including the step of combining sodium chloride in the range of from 16 percent by weight to 17 percent by weight of the composition with acetic acid in a range of about 2 percent by weight to 6 percent by weight of the composition and water in a range of from 58 percent by weight to 62 percent by weight of the composition, heating said mixture until all of said sodium chloride is in solution, combining with the resultant solution a mixture of cereal starch in a range of from 6.5 percent by weight to 7.5 percent by weight of the composition and feldspar in a range of 10.5 percent by weight to 11.5 percent by weight of the composition and a surfactant and heating the mixture while agitating until said composition reaches a thickened pastelike consistency.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the cereal starch is cornstarch. 